Home bakers who want to control the cocoa flavour
You want to know what kind of chocolate is in a spritz biscuit, or decide for yourself how much cocoa to add to the dough.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Bakers who want to skip the preparation
You’re looking for a ready-made biscuit to have with a coffee or serve on a dessert plate, without making and piping the dough.
Shoppers who check ingredients
You want to read the latest ingredients and allergen information before use, for example because wheat, milk or possible traces are important to you.
What should you look for when choosing?
Ready-made spritz biscuits with dark chocolate
A good fit if: you want to serve spritz biscuits straight away with a dark chocolate ingredient listed.
The trade-off: the 15% dark chocolate in AH Choco sprits doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage of that chocolate.
Homemade spritz biscuits with cocoa
A good fit if: you want to decide for yourself how much cocoa to add to the dough.
The trade-off: home baking takes preparation. According to recipes from Albert Heijn Allerhande and Rutger Bakt, the firm dough also calls for a suitable piping bag.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check what type of chocolate is used and whether a specific cocoa percentage is listed. | If I want a pronounced cocoa flavour, I don’t want to rely on a dark-sounding name alone. Around 40% of consumers are expected to make control over that flavour their top priority. |
| Ready to serve | Choose between a ready-made biscuit and ingredients that still need to be made into dough and baked. | For a dessert plate with no preparation, I want to skip piping and baking; around 30% of consumers are expected to prioritise this convenience. |
| Ingredients and method | Check the latest allergen information; if baking at home, bear in mind that spritz dough is firm. | When I bake myself or need to keep an eye on ingredients, I want to know in advance what I’m using and whether my equipment is suitable. For around 30% of consumers, this check is expected to be their main concern. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a dark-sounding name means a high cocoa content
According to the Voedingscentrum, descriptions such as bitter and extra bitter don’t specify a particular cocoa percentage. The 15% dark chocolate listed for AH Choco sprits doesn’t tell you the cocoa percentage of that chocolate either.
If cocoa content is a deciding factor, look for a specific percentage on the packaging or choose the cocoa and chocolate you want to use when baking at home.
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Mistaking milk chocolate for dark chocolate
Verkade describes NoboSprits Melk as having a layer of milk chocolate. This is a different type of chocolate from the dark chocolate listed by Albert Heijn for AH Choco sprits.
Check the chocolate type in the product description and ingredients list before choosing a variety for your baking plans.
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Relying only on an online product description
Ingredients and allergen information can change. A variety you looked at previously may also no longer be available.
Check the packaging and current availability before deciding which ingredients to use for a dessert or baking recipe.
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Underestimating how firm spritz dough is
Albert Heijn Allerhande warns that the firm dough can split a lightweight plastic piping bag. Rutger Bakt points out that butter that’s still too hard makes piping more difficult.
If you’re baking at home, use a sturdy piping bag and follow your recipe’s instructions for the butter temperature.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn describes AH Choco sprits as butter spritz biscuits with 15% dark chocolate, in a 180 g pack.
- The product description states the type and amount of chocolate.
- It doesn’t state the cocoa percentage of the chocolate; check the latest packaging for ingredients and allergen information.
Verkade
The NoboSprits range includes plain biscuits and a milk chocolate variety. Verkade describes NoboSprits Melk as a biscuit with a layer of milk chocolate.
- The milk chocolate variety is clearly labelled as such.
- A milk chocolate variety isn’t the right choice if you’re specifically looking for dark chocolate. Check the latest product information for each variety.
Cocoa powder for homemade spritz biscuits
These cocoa powders are suitable if you’re adding cocoa to spritz dough yourself; they aren’t ready-made spritz biscuits. Use a suitable recipe to determine the amount.
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Basak cocoa powder, 100 g
A cocoa powder to consider if you want to make spritz dough with cocoa; use a suitable recipe to work out the amount.
Pack size: 100 g. If you have relevant allergies, check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
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Fairtrade cocoa powder, 125 g
A cocoa powder to consider if you want to make spritz dough with cocoa; use a suitable recipe to work out the amount.
Pack size: 125 g. Check the latest packaging if ingredients or allergens are important to your choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘bitter’ or ‘dark’ mean a spritz biscuit contains a lot of cocoa?
No. A description like this doesn’t, on its own, prove that the cocoa content is high. According to the Voedingscentrum, ‘bitter’ and ‘extra bitter’ don’t correspond to a fixed cocoa percentage, so check for a specific percentage if it’s important to your choice.
Which allergens should I check in chocolate spritz biscuits?
Always check the latest packaging for the variety you want to use. Wheat, milk and soya are among the ingredients to look out for in the spritz biscuits described here. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens in pre-packed foods must be clearly listed in the ingredients list.
What can I do if homemade spritz dough is difficult to pipe?
Use a sturdy piping bag and follow your recipe’s instructions for the butter temperature. Albert Heijn Allerhande warns that the firm dough can split a lightweight plastic piping bag, while Rutger Bakt says that butter that’s too hard makes piping more difficult.
How should I store dark chocolate for a baking project?
According to the Voedingscentrum, keep opened dark chocolate in a kitchen cupboard. For an unopened pack, follow the storage instructions and date on the label. The Voedingscentrum says that a white coating on chocolate may be fat that has come to the surface.